Social media services were a big focus for the Sidekick team as the worked on revamping the Sidekick this year. As a result, you'll see better integration of Facebook and Myspace in addition to Twitter. All these services have been integrated into the Sidekick UI to maintain the same look and feel as the other apps.

In addition to the new screen, the quad-band Sidekick LX 2009 has 3G data, a 3.2-megapixel camera that can record video (and upload it to Facebook/Myspace), GPS support with live search, web browser, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP and microSD storage (1-gigabyte card included). The media player also supports streaming audio, as well as RTSP streaming video, and the 1250mAh battery means you can get between 3-6 hours of voice and 6-8 days of standby.

I got to play around with it briefly at CTIA, and in general, it feels and looks pretty solid as far as Sidekicks go. It's still pretty plasticky and un-sleek, but the keyboard feels nice and clicky, and the screen is gorgeous. The new, high-res, F-WVGA display allows for plenty of items to fit on the screen with great detail. As a result, little things, like the UI tracking new tweets from friends as a scrolling notifier up top works extremely well. Aside from the screen, I don't know that this brings anything new to the table for those not already sold on the Sidekick, but fans of the previous iterations will definitely want to give this one a look.

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The Sidekick LX 2009 is available for presale now, and will be available on May 13 for $200 in a dark gray or maroon color.

Be the hub of your social circle with the latest T-Mobile® Sidekick® LX. Your fast-paced life needs a device that can keep you constantly connected - whether planning an impromptu BBQ, embarking on a career, or traveling this summer - the high-speed, 3G-enabled T-Mobile Sidekick LX will have the bases covered. The new Sidekick LX is the ultimate device for virtual socialites with built-in support for the top social networking applications including Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, as well as GPS-enabled Live Search.
The Sidekick LX also offers the largest and sharpest screen to-date for a Sidekick device, which helps support the enhanced video capability - record and share easily with friends and family via upload to video Web sites, Bluetooth®, or MMS messaging. The refined LX boasts the thinnest design of the Sidekick family while maintaining the iconic swivel screen and full QWERTY keyboard. The phone is available in carbon and orchid finishes with moodlights running horizontally across the top of the screen.

Key features of the T-Mobile Sidekick LX include:

Integrated social networking application bundle includes Facebook, MySpace and Twitter

High-speed Web browsing with 3G support

Built-in GPS support with Live Search

3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus and an LED flash

Ability to record, play and share videos
o Share recorded videos via e-mail and upload videos to social networking sites
o Watch videos on YouTube via the web browser or on MySpace

Shortly following launch, T-Mobile plans to make available Exchange Active Sync support via the Sidekick
Download Catalog so customers can stay virtually connected to work

Availability
The T-Mobile Sidekick LX will be available for purchase for current customers during the pre-sale starting April 17 for $199.99 with a two-year service agreement and mail-in-rebate.* The Sidekick LX will be available nationally May 13 at select T-Mobile retail stores and online at www.t-mobile.com.